EDITORIAL: Voter registration

After several days of talking to some of the candidates in the upcoming city election, our editorial board members have confirmed their sense that this is going to be one whopper of a primary election in Evansville this May.

More than 30 candidates have signed up for the city election, and, while some are unopposed in the May 3 primary, 22 of them will face opposition on that day.

We still have a number of candidates to meet with, but clearly, there should be intense voter interest in the issues they are discussing, among them government transparency, city-county consolidation, Roberts Stadium and the Downtown Arena, parks, sewers, public safety, and the city smoking ordinance.

It's going to be an interesting election year. However, our message today is this: if you are a resident of the city, have an interest in one or some of these issues, and want to vote in the primary election, you must be registered. You can't wait until the last minute, become incensed about some hot topic, and then decide you need to vote, if you aren't registered.

So here is the deal: You have until midnight Monday (April 4) to register. According to the Indiana Secretary of State, you have the option to register online, on a mobile device, by mail or in person. You can go to www.IndianaVoters.com to register or to gain further assistance, including a link to your county election officials.

Before the primary election, the Courier & Press will be providing readers with information on the races, the candidates and the issues. In order for you to use that information on election day, you must be a registered voter.